Hypocrisy and Hindrance

1137 to 54. I'll read it out loud for us.

While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him.

So he went in and reclined at table.

The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.

And the Lord said to him,

Now, you Pharisees, cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish.

But inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?

But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

But woe to you, Pharisees!

For you tithe, mend, and rue, and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God.

These you ought to have done without neglecting the others.

Woe to you, Pharisees!

For you love the best seed in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

Woe to you!

For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.

One of the lawyers answered him,

Teacher, in saying these things, you insult us also.

And he said,

Woe to you, lawyers, also.

For you loathe people with burdens hard to bear,

and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

Woe to you!

For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed.

So you are witnesses, and you consent to the deeds of your fathers.

For they kill them, and you build their tombs.

Therefore also, the wisdom of God said,

I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute.

So that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world,

may be charged against this generation.

From the blood of Abel, to the blood of Zechariah,

who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.

Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.

Woe to you, lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge.

You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.

As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard

and to provoke him to speak about many things,

lying in wait for him to catch him in something he might say.

This is God's infallible and authoritative word.

I don't know if you have ever sat through a sermon,

wondering to yourself,

Is this pastor talking about me and my situation?

And most of the time, when I preach, I don't have a single person,

like one person in mind.

Usually it's several people or categories of people,

since no temptation has overtaken you,

except that which is common to men.

For that reason, if you're dealing with something,

it's no likelihood there are other people in the church dealing with it as well.

But I do think specifically about our church when I prepare sermons,

because my sermons are not preached for the world,

but for you,

for this local church.

And that's why pastors do not,

or at least should not,

copy and paste sermons written by other pastors,

even the best preachers in the world,

and then preach it to their local churches.

In the passage immediately preceding our passage for today,

Jesus preached on the importance of believing and living in accordance with his message

that the kingdom of God has dawned with his arrival as the Messiah and Savior of the world.

And he spoke unflinchingly that this generation is an evil generation.

It seeks for a sign,

but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

And the sign of Jonah was in reference to his preaching,

that his preaching to them to repent and to believe in him

is the sign that God's giving to them.

And as Jesus was saying these things,

I'm sure some people were squirming in their seats thinking,

oh man, Jesus is speaking directly to me.

But then there were others

who felt certain

that Jesus

was not speaking to them.

They were the Pharisees,

the scribes.

The Pharisees were one of the four major religious groups,

Jewish religious groups in the first century.

They were the Jews who sought to purify

and reform the Jewish community.

And the scribes,

who are called the lawyers in this passage,

they were the religious academics

who lended legal

and scholarly support

to the Pharisees' ministry,

their interpretation of the Old Testament.

So you could think of the Pharisees

as kind of

the ministers

or the pastors.

And then you could think of the lawyers,

the scribes as the theologians,

the seminary professors

of the Jewish people.

And as the Jewish leaders,

the religious leaders

and teachers of their day,

and the context of this passage

and what we've seen among the Pharisees

and the scribes,

they suggest that they would have been

heartily saying their amens

to what Jesus was saying

about this evil generation.

Because they were,

they knew the generation was,

they wanted to reform it.

That was their entire agenda.

Yes, Jesus, preach!

Tell them!

They don't listen to us!

Maybe they'll listen to you!

But Jesus is not about

to let them off the hook.

He lays into these

religious leaders

in Luke 11, 37 to 54.

He speaks specifically

of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees

in verses 37 to 44.

And he speaks of the hindrance

he describes

in verses 45 to 54.

And the main point is

that following Jesus

involves not merely

external conformity,

but also internal conversion

through the blood of Christ.

So let's first look at

the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.

While Jesus was speaking,

it says in verse 37,

that a Pharisee

asked him to dine with him,

so he went in

and reclined at table.

This is the second

of three occasions

in the Gospel of Luke

when Jesus accepts

the invitation

to a Pharisee's home.

And throughout his ministry,

Jesus has been drawing

the ire of the Pharisees

because Pharisees

refused to associate

with sinners,

but Jesus constantly had

as his companion sinners

because he was calling

them to repentance.

And so the Pharisees

didn't exactly get along

with him that well.

And yet,

when a Pharisee

asked him to dine with him,

Jesus accepted the invitation

because he knew

that despite the Pharisee's

self-righteousness,

they were still sinners

in need of the message

of the Gospel

that he brings.

So he went in

and reclined at table.

And the word reclined

suggests that this wasn't

an ordinary family meal,

as we've seen,

where people sit down

on a chair.

But they're reclining,

that means it's reversed

to a special meal.

It's a formal banquet

where the guests

are reclining

on little mats,

on cushions of some kind

on the floor.

And Jesus was likely

the guest of honor

at this special banquet

since he was considered

virtuous among Jews

to invite itinerant

Jewish teachers

to their homes

to have a discussion

and to hear their lessons.

And that's what Jesus

called the teacher here,

verse 45.

And this kind of context

of having theological

and religious

and philosophical instruction

over a meal

was very widely used

in the Roman Empire.

It came to be known later

as a symposium,

which is where we get

the English word.

So this is a common context.

And at this special banquet,

it says in verse 38,

the Pharisee was astonished

to see that Jesus

did not first wash

before dinner.

So he was watching Jesus

to see what he would do.

And he was surprised

that Jesus didn't wash

his hands,

he didn't wash himself

before he ate.

And the concern here

is not with personal hygiene.

The Pharisees couldn't care less.

This is about ceremonial purity.

Washing yourself before meals

is described in the Old Testament,

but really mostly

for hygienic purposes

and customary things to do.

But they are never prescribed

in the Old Testament

as a commandment.

You must wash your hands

in this manner

before you eat.

And yet the Jews

traditionally practiced

ritual cleansing

before meals.

Mark chapter 7,

Mark 7:1–4

verses 1 to 4

describe this Jewish tradition.

Now when the Pharisees

gathered to him

with some of the scribes

who had come from Jerusalem,

they saw that some

of his disciples

ate with hands

that were defiled,

that is unwashed.

For the Pharisees

and all the Jews

do not eat

unless they wash

their hands properly,

holding to the tradition

of the elders.

And when they come

from the marketplace,

they do not eat

unless they wash.

So this is a reference

to the tradition

of the elders.

This is extra-biblical.

And it's not in Scripture itself.

It's something the Jews

have added to it.

In fact,

if you look at the Mishnah,

which is a collection

of Jewish commentary,

they're teaching

an authoritative tradition

of the Jews,

it says specifically

that when you wash

your hands before meals,

you're supposed to

wash it twice.

You're supposed to

pour water on your hand twice.

And as you do that,

however,

the ritual cleansing

only applies

up to your wrist.

So if you actually

pour the water

above the wrist,

beyond the wrist,

twice,

and the water

that touches

the part that's

not clean

above the wrist,

and the water

flows back down

to your hand,

then you haven't

washed properly.

You're still unclean.

So that's the length

to which these Jews

went to ensure

that you're ritually

clean before you

are actually able

to eat something.

And Jesus is not

willing to submit

to these human traditions.

And so he doesn't

do this,

intentionally or

unintentionally,

and the Pharisees

are shocked

that Jesus,

this Jewish teacher,

would flaunt

this tradition.

And he's judging him.

He's surprised

by that.

And even though

the Pharisee himself

doesn't actually

say anything

to Jesus here,

Jesus nonetheless

perceives

the Pharisee's

astonishment

and challenges

his understanding

of ritual purity.

And so he says

in verse 39,

And the Lord

said to him,

this is Luke,

the author of the gospel,

calling Jesus Lord,

which is a loaded word,

right?

Because God is called Lord

in Luke chapter 1,

Luke 1:43

verse 43.

And in Luke chapter 2,

Luke 2 · chapter mention

11,

Jesus is described

as a Savior

who is Christ the Lord.

So by intentionally

using the word Lord here,

Luke is highlighting

the contrast,

how out of line

it is for this Pharisee

to look down

on Jesus

for foregoing

a ritual cleansing

taught by the traditions

of men.

He is Jesus,

the Lord,

the Holy One of God.

And this is

the verdict of the Lord.

He says in verses

39 to 40,

Now you Pharisees

cleanse the outside

of the cup

and of the dish,

but inside you are

full of greed

and wickedness.

You fools,

did not he who made

the outside

make the inside also.

The issue at hand

was of course

the washing of the body,

the hand,

before the meal.

But Jesus uses

the Pharisees'

practice of ritual cleansing,

the practice of

ritually washing

the cups and dishes

as well

that the Pharisees

practiced

to make a larger point.

This is his illustration

to make a larger point

about ritual cleansing

in general.

Because the Pharisees

were meticulous

about making sure

that every cup

and dish that they used

were ritually clean.

But their concern

with ritual purity

was hypocritical

because inside

they were full of greed

and wickedness.

Greed is the word

that refers to

robbing somebody,

plundering someone

in other contexts.

And the word wickedness

is a general term

for what is evil.

Which is,

the word evil

is a key word

throughout Luke chapter 11.

Luke 11 · chapter mention

The word evil

has been used five times

in this chapter alone.

And in verse 29

Jesus said specifically

that this generation

is an evil generation.

So by saying

that the Pharisees

are full of evil,

the wickedness,

which is non-form

of the attitude evil

in Greek.

Jesus is saying

explicitly

that the Pharisees

are not exempt.

You thought that

you were exempt

from this criticism

of this evil generation.

You are full

of the same evil.

They too are part

of this evil generation.

They too need to repent

of their sins

and follow Jesus.

When it comes

to outward observances

that people can see,

the Pharisees

were strict

and detail-oriented.

But when it came

to the inward

posture of obedience,

what people cannot see,

they were thoroughly wicked.

And the illustration

is powerful.

What good is it

to wash the outside

of dishes, right?

If on the inside

there's still food stains.

What good is it

to wash the outside

of your cups

and water bottles

when on the inside

has green

and white things

growing?

Would you drink

from that?

Jesus is charging

the Pharisees

of hypocrisy,

which means to act,

to pretend.

The Pharisees

are pretenders

because if they

were really concerned

with holiness,

they would have first

dealt with their

inward greed

and wickedness.

But instead,

they are concerned

with this outward

minutiae

of the Jewish

religious tradition,

which are not even

in Scripture,

but are instead

accumulation

of human tradition.

And this is

offensive to God.

This is an affront

to God

because Jesus

says in verse 40,

Did not he

who made the outside

make the inside

also?

God not only

made the outside

of a person,

but also the inside

of a person.

So both our outside

and inside

belong to God.

Not merely

what we say

out in the open,

but also

our hidden thoughts.

They belong

to God.

God is not merely

concerned with

what we do

in public,

but with everything

we do,

even in the privacy

of our homes.

How do we live

when no one

is looking?

Because God

is still watching.

In what ways,

this is a good time

to ask ourselves,

have we compartmentalized

our lives?

Perhaps on the outside,

we are ever

the polite person

smiling at everyone,

saying all the courteous

and nice things,

but in our hidden

thoughts,

we are full of

prideful judgment

and hatred.

Behind closed doors,

we are full of

gossip and slander.

Perhaps we speak

gently and kindly

to everybody

on Sunday morning,

but in the privacy

of our homes,

in the context

of our workplace,

we speak harshly

and haughtily

to our spouses,

to our coworkers,

to our roommates.

Perhaps on the outside,

perhaps on the outside,

we are proficient

at using

the Christian lingo,

saying all the amens

in the right places,

saying praise God

at timely moments,

and always asking people

about their prayer requests,

but we barely

spend

any time

praying for the request

we so diligently

canvassed.

Perhaps there is

a jarring

incongruity

between

the way you

present yourself

in the virtual world

of Facebook

and Instagram

and the way you

actually live

in the real world.

God made

both

the inside

and the outside,

and He's not

looking for

halfway Christians

or surface Christians.

He's looking for

those who will

follow Him

with all their heart,

soul,

mind,

and strength.

Those who will

give their whole lives

to Him

and live from

the inside out

in obedience to Him.

That's what God

is calling us to.

So Jesus continues

that point in verse 41,

but give as alms

those things

that are within,

and behold,

everything is

clean for you.

In the context

of a special banquet

like this,

it was customary

to leave the door open.

It's a public meal

so that uninvited guests

could enter in

and be flies on the wall

and listen to this

religious or philosophical

dialogue.

And at the end

of the feast,

poor were also

welcomed in

so that they can

beg for the leftovers

and walk away

with some alms

given to them

by charitable people.

And in light

of this context,

what Jesus says

about giving alms

is it stinks.

Because the Pharisees

could host lavish

banquets like this

and give alms

to the poor,

but their hearts

were not in it.

They despised

the lowly,

sinful people.

But instead

of a mere

outward generosity,

they should,

as Jesus is saying,

cultivate an inward

love and compassion

toward them.

Give as alms

those things

that are within,

and behold,

everything is clean

for you.

If you are sanctified

inwardly,

then everything you do

will be acceptable

to God.

Because as Jesus said

earlier in Luke

Luke 6:45

chapter 6,

verse 45,

the good person

out of the good

treasure of his heart

produces good,

and the evil person

out of his evil

treasure produces evil.

For out of the abundance

of the heart

his mouth speaks.

because heart

is the wellspring

of life,

because the heart

that governs

our inward disposition

posture,

governs what we do

outwardly.

If we are sanctified

inwardly,

if we give of God

inwardly,

it will come out

on the outside.

After giving the

summary judgment

of the Pharisees

as those who are,

who cleanse the outside

but not the inside,

in verses 42 to 44,

Jesus pronounces

three woes

on the Pharisees

that further explain

their hypocrisy.

The woe is the

opposite of a blessing.

It's announcing pity

for someone's misfortune.

Woe to you,

Pharisees.

And the first woe

is in verse 42.

Woe to you,

Pharisees,

for you tithe

mint and rue

and every herb

and neglect justice

and the love of God.

These you ought to have

done without neglecting

the others.

Following the Old Testament

law,

the Pharisees gave

a tenth of all

their material possessions

to God

to be used

for God's worship

and for the ministry

of God's people.

That's what we call

a tithe.

But the Pharisees,

as they did

to everything else,

they took this

to the extreme

and they cut

an exact tenth

of even the smallest

herbs like mint

and rue

in order to tithe them.

Can you imagine

them on a table?

It's a little mint

cut over a tenth of it

to make sure

they can bring it

to the temple.

They calculated

their tithe

to the smallest,

the decimal point,

the very last penny.

But even though

they obeyed

the commandment

to tithe,

even to the minutest

detail,

they neglected

justice

and the love of God.

The word justice

refers to doing

what is right

to our neighbors,

giving them

what is their just due,

and loving God

refers to our orientation

toward God.

Really together,

those two words

are shorthand

for the greatest

commandment

that Jesus taught

earlier in Luke

Luke 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10,

27.

You shall love

the Lord your God

with all your heart,

with all your soul,

and with all your strength,

and with all your mind,

and your neighbor

as yourself.

Love to God

and justice

to our neighbors.

The Pharisees

go to great lengths

to obey

the least

of the commands

of God,

yet they neglect

the greatest

of God's commands.

Jesus doesn't say,

notice that,

he doesn't say

that the Pharisees

are wrong to tithe.

He doesn't condemn

them for the practice.

He says,

these you ought

to have done

without neglecting

the others.

Their obedience

to God

was disproportioned.

It was

misprioritized.

They obeyed

the smallest letter

of the law,

but not the heart

and the spirit

of the law.

Are we overly

concerned

with

one or two

minor areas

of obedience

to the expense

of more important

areas of obedience?

Perhaps we're

extremely concerned

with being on time

at the worship service.

Being on time

for worship service

is a good thing,

but do we,

in the name

of punctuality

and reverence

for God,

impatiently

cut off

other cars

and honk

at other drivers,

and angrily

chew out

our spouses

and our children

for making us

late.

perhaps we're

extremely concerned

with exegetical

and theological

minutiae,

overly eager

to point out

people's sins,

overly eager

to point out

the smallest

of their

theological error.

prayer.

And in the name

of theological

precision

and holiness,

we sinfully

judge

and tear down

our brothers

and sisters

in Christ.

What aspect

of the spiritual

life most

preoccupies you?

Are you

obsessed with

tithing,

mint,

rue,

and every herb,

or are you

focused on

the justice

and on

the love

of God?

Jesus

pronounces the

second woe

in verse 43,

Woe to you

Pharisees,

for you love

the best seed

in the synagogues

and greetings

in the marketplaces.

The Pharisees

were always

competing with

each other

for the most

respected

positions

as they gathered

in worship

at the synagogues.

You can see

this from

even the Puritan

practice.

If you visit,

have you guys

ever been

to the old

North Church?

It's a spot

on the Freedom

Trail.

One of the

oldest churches

in the country.

It's located

in the North

End,

and if you

go,

you can still

see the old

box pews.

And these

box pews,

they all have

keys in them,

interestingly.

Can you imagine

all these seeds

having keys

and you're

owing a key

to it?

You had to

pay for it.

You had to

pay for these

box pews,

and only the

people who

had the keys

could sit

on them.

And of course,

only the

wealthiest people

could afford

such pews,

especially the

ones that

were near

the front,

which were

the most

prominent

positions,

and whenever

one suddenly

became open,

there would

be a bidding

war.

And sometimes

they would

get in fist

fights for

these prominent

seats,

which is an

embarrassing

thing to

share,

I know,

because these

are,

they did

this in

the churches.

But that's

kind of exactly

what Jesus

is talking

about.

A similar

thing was

happening among

the Jewish

leaders in

the synagogue.

They sought

the best seat

in the

synagogues

because it

was a

status

symbol.

Yes,

I get to

sit here

in the

front.

We have

the total

opposite

problem.

Nobody wants

to sit in

the front

for some

reason.

You guys

just sit

in the

front.

But they

wanted to

be highly

regarded.

They wanted

to be seen

as important.

And they

wanted to,

they loved

greetings in

the market

places.

Jesus is not

simply saying

that these

Pharisees,

you know,

loved people

and wanted

people to

say hi

to them.

This is a

reference to

these formal

elaborate

greetings that

the Jews

were expected

to lavish on

respected

persons,

highly regarded

persons.

Pharisees wanted

people to see

them in their

flowing roads.

And when they

were caught

them, they

would come

to be like,

oh, most

revered

Pharisee or

rabbi,

the peerless

scholar of the

law, the

doctor of

theology,

the

compassionate

champion

of piety.

You kind

philanthropist,

what an

honor it

is for me

to be

greeted by

your presence.

The Pharisees

were engaged

in a popularity

contest, but

Jesus rebukes

them for this.

Do we

seek the

approval of

man rather

than the

approval of

God?

God.

do we

want to be

seen by

others as

important, as

successful, as

godly, as

mature?

Are we

eager to show

off how many

Bible references

we know?

Do we

subtly let

on to

so that people

can see just

how many

hours we

spend praying

each day?

Do we

like to

pray long,

flowery prayers,

eloquent prayers

to impress

those around

us rather

than focusing

on speaking

to God?

Are we

eager to

show people

just how

much we

give to

the church?

Or how

much we

sacrifice and

serve?

Do we

despise

humble service

in the

background and

seek only

the prominent

positions on

the stage?

and then

if we do

this, we

do not get

the recognition

and praise

that we

crave, we

throw temper

tantrums.

Nobody

notices me

when I'm

serving.

Nobody

sees how

mature I

am.

Why is

that woman

serving in

that role?

I'm just

as gifted

as she

is.

Why is

that man

in the

place of

leadership?

Surely I

am just

as qualified

as he

is.

If we

serve to

get credit

for ourselves,

God does

not get

the credit.

If we

serve in

our own

strength

without

acknowledging

the gifts

of God,

that all

that we

have comes

from God,

and that

all that

we do

is the

outworking

of the

grace of

God

within

us,

then we

are robbing

God of

his glory.

And that

too is

hypocrisy.

Acting

like we

want to

glorify

God

when we're

really

concerned

with

glorifying

ourselves.

And the

final woe

against the

Pharisees

is pronounced

in verse

44.

Woe to

you,

for you

are like

unmarked

graves,

and people

walk over

them without

knowing it.

Numbers 19

11 taught

that coming

into physical

contact with

the dead

brought ceremonial

uncleanness.

And so to

avoid,

so the Jews

avoided graves.

And unless

they were

burying their

family members,

they didn't

go near

the graves.

And unmarked

graves were

particularly dangerous

for ceremonial

defilement

because you

can't see

them.

You can't

spot them.

They're not

marked.

It's like

going to a

cemetery and

it's all

grass and

there's

dead

people all

under

you,

but you

don't

know where

they are.

The Pharisees,

ironically,

they were the

highly respected

religious leaders

of their

communities.

The people

followed their

teaching and

example,

and yet they

were like

unmarked

graves.

And people

unknowingly

were rendered

unclean

by following

them,

coming into

contact with

them,

because the

Pharisees

were spiritually

dead inside,

even the

outwardly they

had the

appearance of

life.

So Christian

brothers and

sisters,

we all might

have the

outward appearance

of life,

but are we

alive on the

inside?

God,

this is an

especially

important question

for you to

answer if you

have taken it

upon yourself

to teach,

lead,

or disciple

other believers.

If we don't

have the life

of God within

us,

if we are

hypocrites,

who are clean

on the outside,

but dirty on

the inside,

if we fixate on

minutiae,

while ignoring the

most important

things,

if we seek

our glory

rather than

the glory of

God,

then our

example and

our teaching

will not merely

be in vain,

they will be

spiritually deadly

for those around

us.

So I want to

exhort you this

morning as the

19th century

pastor J.C.

Ryle once

exhorted his

own congregation,

let us leave

the whole passage

with a settled

determination to

watch and pray

against hypocrisy

and religion.

Whatever we are

as Christians,

let us be

real,

thorough,

genuine,

and sincere.

Let us

abhor all

affectation

and part

acting in

the things

of God as

that which

is utterly

loathsome in

Christ's eyes.

We may be

weak and

erring and

frail and

come far

short of our

aims and

desires,

but at any

rate,

if we

profess to

believe in

Christ,

let us

be true.

Let us

rather be

weak,

failing,

Christians who

fall short,

yet be

true,

then be

fake.

Following

Jesus

involves not

merely external

conformity,

but also

internal

conversion

through the

blood of

Christ.

And as

Jesus denounces

the hypocrisy

of the Pharisees,

an expert of

the Jewish

law,

a scribe

dares to

step into

Jesus'

line of

fire.

Teacher,

in saying

these things,

you insult

us also.

To

translate that,

he's saying,

Jesus,

I think you're

a little out

of line

here.

Surely you

don't intend

to insult

upstanding

moral citizens

like us,

but you're

getting a little

bit carried

away because

these Pharisees

are one

of us,

so please

stop.

These

lawyers and

theologians,

they were

allied.

These lawyers

aided the

Pharisees in

their ministry,

so they were

squirming in

their seats as

the Pharisees

were being

denounced in

this way,

but Jesus

doesn't stop.

He addresses

the lawyers

directly as

well.

He says

in verse

46,

Woe to

you lawyers

also,

for you

loathe people

with burdens

hard to

bear,

and you

yourselves

do not

touch the

burdens

with one

of your

fingers.

Much like

the Pharisees

insistence

on a very

particular

ritual

cleansing

prior to

meals,

the lawyers

had developed

hundreds of

rules that

went beyond

the warrant,

the boundaries

of Scripture.

By doing

this,

they loaded

people with

burdens hard

to bear,

with burdens

that God

did not intend

for them

to bear.

And one of

the clearest

examples of

this was

their observance,

their legalistic

observance of

the Sabbath,

because Exodus

20 does

command us,

remember the

Sabbath day

by keeping

holy,

right?

Six days

you shall

labor and

do all

your work,

but the

seventh day

you shall

not do

any work.

That was

the simple

command.

Six days

work,

seventh day

do not

work.

Remember

your Sabbath.

But the

lawyers,

these Jewish

lawyers,

they took

that simple

command and

attached dozens

of prickly

rules to

it.

So one

such example

of this is

this,

it says,

a man may

carry an

object in

his right

hand or

in his

left hand,

in his

bosom or

in his

shoulder,

and if they

did that,

they would be

guilty of

breaking the

Sabbath,

if they use

any of those

body parts to

carry an

object on

a Sabbath.

However,

if he carried

an object on

the back of

his hand,

or with

his foot,

or with

his mouth,

or with

his elbow,

or with

his ear,

or in

his hair,

or in

his wallet,

as long as

the wallet is

carried mouth

downwards,

or between

his wallet and

his shirt,

or in the

hem of his

shirt,

or in his

shoe,

or in his

sandal,

then he

would not

be guilty

of breaking

the Sabbath.

Isn't that

crazy?

It's

ridiculous.

I was

reading that.

That's from

the Mishnah.

Unlike

Jesus who

said in

Matthew 11,

come to

me all

who labor

and are

heavy laden

and I

will give

you rest.

Take my

yoke upon

you and

learn from

me for

I am

gentle and

lowly in

heart and

you will

find rest

for your

souls for

my yoke

is easy

and my

burden

is light.

These

Jewish

lawyers

loaded

people with

burdens

hard to

bear.

They

added to

God's

perfect

law these

imperfect

human

traditions.

They

complicated

God's

law with

complex

legal

details

that were

difficult

for people

to follow

let alone

understand.

Sometimes

we too

can be

tempted

to take

matters

that are

spiritually

indifferent

and then

elevate them

to level

of God's

law.

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 5:2

5 verse

2

it does

teach us

that men

are to

treat

older

women

in the

church

as

mothers

younger

women

as

sisters

in

all

purity.

So if

you're

a man

and you

start to

get romantically

involved

with a

young

woman in

the church

you should

treat her

like a

sister

in all

purity

until

you're

married.

I do

believe

that has

far

reaching

implications

because

there are

a lot

of men

who do

all kinds

of things

that they

would never

think to

do with

their

sisters.

But despite

this principle

the Bible

does not

say

that the

two

can never

go on a

date by

themselves.

The Bible

does not

say

that they

can never

hold hands

or hug.

Sometimes

pastors

and Christians

lay those

extra rules

down.

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 2:9–10

chapter 2

verses

9 to

10

teach

women

to

adorn

themselves

in

respectable

apparel

with

modesty

and

self-control

not with

braided hair

and gold

or pearls

or costly

attire

but with

what is

proper for

women who

profess

godliness

with good

works.

That is

commanded

in Scripture.

But the

Bible does

not say

that a

woman

therefore

should wear

only full

length

dresses

as some

churches

teach.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6

19 to

20

does

teach

that

your

body

is

a

temple

of

the

Holy

Spirit

within

you

whom

you

have

from

God

you

are

not

your

own

for

you

are

bought

with

a

price

so

glorify

God

with

your

body

in

your

body

1 Corinthians

10

31

also

says